Interaction of substrate and effector binding sites in the ArsA ATPase

The ars operon of plasmid R773 confers resistance to antimonials and arsenicals in Escherichia coli by encoding an ATP-dependent extrusion system for the oxyanions. The catalytic subunit, the ArsA protein, is an ATPase with two nucleotide binding consensus sequences, one in the N-terminal half and one in the C-terminal half of the protein. The ArsA ATPase is allosterically activated by tricoordinate binding of As(3+) or Sb(3+) to three cysteine thiolates. Previous measurements suggested that the intrinsic fluorescence of tryptophans might be useful for examining binding of Mg2+ ATP and antimonite. In the present study an increase in intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence was observed upon addition of Mg2+ ATP. This enhancement was reversed by addition of antimonite. The ArsA protein contains four tryptophan residues: Trp159, Trp253, Trp522, and Trp524. The first two were altered to tyrosine residues by site-directed mutagenesis. Cells expressing both the arsAW159Y and arsAW253Y mutations retained resistance to arsenite, and the purified W159Y and W253Y proteins retained ATPase activity. While the intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence of the W253Y protein responded to addition of Mg2+ ATP, intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence in the purified W159Y protein was no longer enhanced by substrate. These results suggest that Trp159 is conformationally coupled to one or both of the nucleotide binding sites and provides a useful probe for the interaction of effector and substrate binding sites.     

Selective partial oxidation of light paraffins with hydrogen peroxide on thin-layer supported Nafion-H catalysts

Thin-layer carbon supported Nafion-H catalysts were found to be active and highly selective (S>98%) for the partial oxidation of C₁-C₃ alkanes, in a three phase catalytic membrane reactor (3PCMR), under mild conditions and in the presence of H₂O₂. The influences of the catalyst teflon loading and H₂O₂ concentration on the reaction rate have been evaluated. A reaction pathway, based on the electrophilic hydroxylation of the C-H bond of alkanes with protonated hydrogen peroxide (H₃O ₂ ⁺ ), is discussed.     

Kinetic studies of a soluble alpha beta complex of nitrate reductase A from Escherichia coli. Use of various alpha beta mutants with altered beta subunits

A soluble alpha beta complex of nitrate reductase can be obtained from a strain of Escherichia coli that lacks the narI gene and expresses only the alpha and beta subunits. The beta subunit contains four Fe-S centres and the alpha subunit contains the molybdenum cofactor, which is the site at which nitrate is reduced. Despite the lack of the gamma subunit of the complete enzyme, this complex can still catalyse the reduction of nitrate with artificial electron donors such as benzyl viologen, so that it is suitable for studying the transfer of electrons between these two types of redox centre. To examine whether the electrons from reduced benzyl viologen are initially delivered to the Fe-S centres, or directly to the molybdenum cofactor, or both, we have studied the steady-state kinetics and the binding of benzyl viologen to the alpha beta complex and mutants alpha beta* with altered beta subunits. Reduction of the enzyme by reduced benzyl viologen in the absence of nitrate showed that all four Fe-S centres and the molybdenum cofactor could be reduced. Two classes of site with different equilibrium constants could be distinguished. The kinetic results suggest that benzyl viologen supplies its electrons directly to the molybdenum cofactor, at a rate showing a hyperbolic dependence on the square of the concentration of the electron donor. A reaction mechanism is proposed for the reduction of nitrate catalysed by the alpha beta complex of nitrate reductase with artificial electron donors.     

Radiological case of the month. Reflex sympathetic dystrophy

The authors report a case of pregnancy in a rudimentary horn diagnosed by laparotomy. The location could not be suspected by any clinical sign. This pregnancy stopped at 19 weeks of amenorrhoea. Any attempts of induction of labour failed. Laparotomy was necessary to assess the diagnosis and to allow the resection of the uterine horn. The authors present a review of literature.     

Interleukin-1 beta-converting enzyme mediates cisplatin-induced apoptosis in malignant glioma cells

Increasing the susceptibility of tumor cells to apoptotic cell death following chemotherapy is of importance to the outcome of cancer treatment. Although the tumor suppressor gene p53 is required for efficient induction of apoptosis by chemotherapeutic agents, it is not the only apoptosis mediator gene. The molecular mechanisms mediating apoptosis following chemotherapy via p53-dependent or p53-independent pathways remain unclear. We show here that cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (cisplatin) induces the expression of interleukin-1 beta-converting enzyme (ICE), a mammalian homologue of the Caenorhabditis elegans cell death gene ced-3, in murine and human malignant glioma cells during apoptosis regardless of their p53 status. Furthermore, overexpression of the murine ICE gene induces apoptosis in these tumor cells. The apoptosis induced by cisplatin treatment or murine ICE overexpression can be suppressed by the tetrapeptide ICE inhibitor Ac-YVAD-CMK or the apoptosis inhibitors bcl-2 or bcl-2-related bcl-XL gene. These findings suggest that ICE may mediate apoptosis induced by chemotherapy, and its induction could represent a novel approach for the effective treatment of malignant glioma.